The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 107 Give me face

Knight didn't want Gan Guoyang to play in Game 4 for a reason: the game was to be played in Knight's home base of Indiana, at the brand-new Halsey Dome.

This game was the first game in the new arena, the opening game, and 67596 spectators attended on the day of the game, setting a record for the number of people watching a basketball game in the United States at that time.

The NBA All-Star team had the most luxurious lineup in this game, including Indiana's superstar, 1984 MVP and champion Larry Bird, the other two members of the Celtics' Big Three, McHale and Parish, Mark Aguirre and Isaiah Thomas, Mike Woodson and Jim Paxson, and the famous coach Oscar Robertson.

A few days before the game, the team hosted a charity dinner in Indiana to raise $150,000 for the Olympics.

The pre-match ceremony was exceptionally grand, with over 60,000 spectators in attendance, flags waving, and a choir singing the American national anthem.

During the live television broadcast, President Ronald Reagan offered his best wishes and expressed his hope that the U.S. men's basketball team would achieve great results at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Under Reagan's rule in the 1980s, the United States valued national honor, emphasized unity and dedication, and placed great importance on major events like the Olympic Games.

Knight received cheers and applause from the entire audience almost like a hero as he walked onto the field behind the players, waving and enjoying the spotlight.

In such a situation, how could Knight possibly allow Gan Guoyang, a foreigner, to ruin the outcome of the match he wanted?

NBA coach Oscar Robertson is a close friend of Fleischer; the two are inseparable brothers who have gone through thick and thin together.

Fleischer knew this match was very important to Knight, so he didn't let Gan Guoyang go up and "mess things up".

During the game, Gan Guoyang sat next to Oscar Robertson, watching the game with his chin in his hand. Robertson allowed Gan Guoyang to give some guidance from the sidelines.

After all, he knows how to play against the US national team, but whether NBA stars listen to him is another matter.

The Celtics brought almost all of their core roster elements with them: the frontcourt trio plus Buckner, and the addition of Isaiah Thomas.

As a result, after only ten minutes of play in the first half, the US Olympic national team had already thoroughly outplayed the NBA All-Star team.

Ewing blocked Parish's shot face-to-face, and Jordan single-handedly broke through the defense of Bird and McHale.

Without tactics and strategy, even a team composed of star players cannot compete with a well-trained opponent.

Moreover, the US national team consists of young players with near-NBA star potential, who are highly motivated and outperform the All-Star team on the court.

Bird lost the ball to Alvin Robertson, and then Jordan slammed it down on Robert Redd on the fast break, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Jordan, like a black panther, gave fans a glimpse of a new era.

Meanwhile, another ray of hope for the new era sat on the sidelines, constantly encouraging his teammates:
"Larry, you're too slow! Your defense is so bad, getting past you is like crossing the street!"

"Kevin, you need to get out there, get out there! Staying in the paint won't get you anywhere!"

"Speed ​​up the pace! Speed ​​up the pace! Don't try to drag it out! Thomas, you can't hold back the pace! Get moving!"

Gan Guoyang, who hadn't even officially joined the league yet, was already bossing around the established seniors, completely disregarding their personal feelings.

When Bird came off the court for a rest, he went straight to Gan Guoyang and said, "You brat, if you keep yelling at me like that, I'll shove a towel in your mouth!"

As Bird spoke, he gestured with the towel he used to wipe his sweat; he was truly fed up.

If an opponent trash-talks you on the court, that's one thing, but Bird isn't afraid at all; he'll retaliate tenfold.

Damn it, he's a teammate now, sitting on the sidelines, and he can't even fight back. It's really painful.

"I'm just giving you some advice. I've already won two games, and I think you're going to lose this one."

"Winning or losing this game doesn't matter. If you're so tough, go to the NBA and win. I'll be waiting for you rookie in the NBA." Bird was furious and could only vent his anger from the bench.

They weren't used to FIBA's rules, and there was no joint practice before the game; it was like an All-Star game.

Bird played with ease on the court, dribbling, passing, and shooting with a natural and unpretentious style, unlike Jordan's flashy and impressive play.

But every move is free and easy, simple yet practical, and the passing is concealed, making it very lethal.

This year is Bird's peak. In one season, he won every honor a player can achieve. He is the king of this league.

After sitting on the bench for a while, King Bird suddenly gave Gan Guoyang a light kick and said, "Rookie, aren't you the assistant coach? Aren't you supposed to know about the Olympic team? Why the hell aren't you saying anything? Why don't you give me some pointers on what to do in this situation!"

At this point, the All-Star team was already ten points behind the Olympic team. If things continued like this, they were bound to lose, and the All-Star team couldn't find a way to turn things around.

Gan Guoyang said, "The best solution is for me to take over."

Bird stared at Gan Guoyang for a few seconds and said, "I finally understand how awful someone like me really is, fuck."

The All-Star team is beyond saving, and even if Gan Guoyang comes on now, there's not much he can do. As the warm-up matches progress, the Olympic team's tacit understanding, teamwork, and fighting spirit are constantly improving.

With so many spectators witnessing the victory and such a strong sense of determination, the All-Star team simply lacked the belief to turn the tide.

Ultimately, the US national team easily defeated the NBA All-Stars 97-82, a 15-point advantage, securing a crucial victory.

Bird scored 14 points and Jordan scored 12 points. Although the US national team is centered around Jordan, they are essentially a team-oriented team.

After securing this victory, Gan Guoyang did not play in any subsequent matches; both Knight and he knew it was no longer necessary.

Gan Guoyang stayed with the team, going to Milwaukee, Phoenix, and finally to San Diego.

As expected, the Olympic team won all the remaining games, and all of them by a large margin, leaving no suspense.

Along the way, Gan Guoyang got to know many more NBA stars, such as English, Larry Nance, Quentin Daly, Michael Cooper, Norm Nixon, and Vandeweghe, among many other players in their prime. He became familiar with them all, which was an extremely valuable experience for Gan Guoyang, a newcomer.

No summer league can provide this level of training, and there won't be another opportunity like this in the future.

Gan Guoyang admires his agent Fleischer's network of connections the most; all eight games featuring so many NBA stars were arranged by him.

After playing his last game in San Diego, Gan Guoyang was finally going to part ways with the Olympic team. Gan Guoyang was going back to Portland to sign a contract, while the Olympic team went directly to Los Angeles to prepare for the upcoming 1984 Summer Olympics.

As they parted, the months they had spent together left them with a touch of sadness. These energetic young people would be the main force in the NBA in the future.

Gan Guoyang said to everyone, "By the way, your first opponent in this Olympics is China, my motherland. I know they definitely can't beat you, after all, they don't have me. Please go easy on me, give me some face, don't win by too much, and don't make the match too ugly."

The schedule for the Olympic men's basketball tournament has been released, and the first opponent for the US men's basketball team is the Chinese men's basketball team.

Gan Guoyang wanted everyone to give him face, but after he finished speaking, he noticed that everyone's eyes were a little strange. Why did they look a little fierce?
Gan Guoyang suddenly sensed something was wrong, so he immediately grabbed his bag and ran off to Portland.

After meeting Gan, I decided to behave more restrained in the future, because he really was a bit annoying. (In the end, I didn't succeed.)

—Excerpt from Larry Bird's autobiography, *Drive: The Story of My Life*, published in 1989.

(End of this chapter)